1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a water shield. More particularly, the invention relates to a vehicle door water shield that prevents water, dirt and sound from entering into the passenger compartment of the vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
Vehicle doors generally include multiple panels that are connected together. Between these panels, an internal space is defined where a window may be retracted when opened and where wire harnesses and other components might be housed. As such, an inboard panel of the door typically includes one or more openings providing access to the internal space for installation or servicing purposes.
Since the space between the inboard and outboard panels of the door typically accepts a retracted window and because of other possible points of ingress in the outboard panel (e.g. handle openings and key lock openings), this space is susceptible to the encroachment of water, dirt, etc. therein. If left unchecked, such materials in the internal space can intrude upon the passenger compartment of the vehicle through the access opening. To prevent this encroachment, vehicle doors are provided with water shields.
A vehicle door's water shield is attached to the inward facing surface of the inboard panel and extends over the access opening. The attachment of the water shield is such that a seal is formed around the access opening. To provide the occupants with an aesthetically pleasing interior, a trim panel is mounted over the water shield on the interior of the vehicle's inboard panel.
When provided in a vehicle door, the water shield not only limits the intrusion of water, dirt and other debris into the passenger compartment, but it also limits the introduction of noise in the passenger compartment. Exterior vehicle noise, such as road noise, wind noise, and noise caused by vibration of the door itself, will eventually enter the occupant compartment of the vehicle through unobstructed access openings. Water shields typically attenuate noise being introduced into the vehicle by reflecting the sound back into internal space of the door.
While water shields may be formed of stamped sheet metal, injection molded rigid plastic, resilient foamed and non-foamed plastics, in their simplest form, water shields are flat or formed sheets of semi-rigid, water impermeable polymeric material extended over the inboard panel of the door and secured thereto by a bead of adhesive material. Being sealed around the access opening(s) by the bead of adhesive, the water shield limits the entry of water and dirt into the passenger compartment and also reflects sound back into the door, thereby attenuating the sound. Some of the noise, however, still manages to enter the passenger compartment. To further attenuate noise, acoustic materials, such as sound absorbing, non-woven fiber pads, are sometimes generally provided so as to be located between the sheet and the trim panel or between the sheet and inboard panel.
Even with these measures, vibration of the inboard panel or water shield can result in unwanted noise within the occupant compartment of the vehicle.